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Joe from Kokomo[_2_] · January 30th 17, 04:20 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave

On Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 3:22:43 PM UTC-5, Joe from Kokomo wrote:
On 1/29/2017 5:30 AM, wrote:

Anyhow, before I really get into all of this, I have to ask, is there
anything worth listening to on the SW bands anymore. I dont want to
invest time and money into something that has little to offer. If it's
just religious stuff and some morse code, I'm not going to get any use
out of it.

Sadly, you've pretty much answered your own question as to if there is
anything worth listening to. On the other hand, you already own your
Hallicrafters S-41. You could fire that up again and for less than five
bucks, just check/replace if necessary the coupling and bypass
capacitors. Then tune around the bands, see if you hear anything you
like and THEN invest in a better/newer radio.

P.S.

Don't forget the isolation transformer on the S-41.

On 1/30/2017 3:32 AM, wrote:

A radio which has not been plugged in for that many years may/must require more than just a few capacitors. It is 70 years young.

Well, you are partially right -- if you consider the context.

If you want to do a full-bore, complete restoration, what you say is true.

On the other hand, the OP just wanted to see if short wave was worth
listening to and then buying a better/newer radio.

In that case, what I said was true, just change a few capacitors if
needed so you are not putting B+ on the grids of the next stages or
shorting out the B+ with defective bypass capacitors.